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Jennifer Larson
Community Editor
It was 10 years ago that a Russian orphan was welcomed into the life of a Wyoming couple.
Forest Lake High School grads Christine and Tim Davis considered the little girl a “gift from God.” The bond between them and their daughter would only grow stronger through the years, but there would also be far-reaching bumps and hiccups along the way.
Grace celebrated her first Christmas with the Davis’ in December 1999. The high school sweethearts, who are educators, longed to be parents but found they could not have a child the traditional way. Milena Vanzandt, a Russian women and the wife of a friend, would help with adoption details.
Christine said the excitement she and Tim felt was just like any other new parent.
“Words just can’t describe what a blessing she’s [Grace] been to us,” Christine said.
Born premature at 30 weeks, Grace was given the name Anastacia. Her birth parents never claimed the baby they brought into the world. No permanent address or income was listed on the paperwork.
When Anastacia left the hospital in Kaluga, Russia she was transferred to a “baby house” which is what the eastern European country calls an orphanage.
An Answer
As early as preschool, the Davis’ started to notice that Grace was exhibiting behavior that was not typical. Christine said her daughter would throw tantrums and was being defiant. They took Grace to a clinic in Duluth where she was diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
That information was really hard to take, says Christine, because nothing was ever said when they adopted Grace.
“We had no idea,” Christine said.
She and Tim jumped into learning as much they could about FAS. Today, the couple volunteers as speakers for MOFAS, a Minnesota Oganization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
A 1st grade teacher at Forest Lake Elementary where Grace goes to school, Christine said she never taught a student that was identified as having FAS. According to her, it falls under “other health impairments.”
She and Tim, who is an instructor at Centennial High School, have done in-services in Forest Lake and other districts to bring awareness to the congenital syndrome.
“When you have a child that has such a major disability, you look at all of your kids [students] differently,” Christine said.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome isn’t just an issue for children who are adopted. In Minnesota, approximately 49,722 individuals are suspected of having FAS.
Her struggles
“With FAS, you almost have to think of holes in the brain,” Christine said.
She noted that Grace is an avid reader and likes to write. Her daughter is very creative, Christine says. However, Grace doesn’t like math. The subject is too abstract for her, mom said.
“She’s [Grace] very black and white,” Christine said. “There’s not a lot of grey area. She can tell you exactly what you want to hear but when it comes to applying it, it’s really hard for her.”
There are also external differences you can see.
She may be small in stature, but Christine says the preadolescence attitudes and behaviors are alive and well in Grace.
“She loves ‘Twilight,”’ Christine added.
As Grace becomes an adult, her parents have other concerns. She will celebrate a golden birthday on Jan. 11.
Decision-making is very difficult for people with FAS. They can be very impulsive, Christine said.
“We talk a lot about having an external brain,” she said.
It helps if Grace can think “What would Mom or Dad do?”
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is 100 percent curable. Of course, not in those who are already living with it. Abstaining from drinking during pregnancy is the only method of prevention.
“It’s considered permanent brain damage,” Christine said of FAS.
She says her daughter is helpful, assisting other teachers in the morning when Grace goes to school with Christine. Sometimes, Grace drops into the School Age Program if her mom has meetings.
“We’re really trying to build into that responsibility this year,” Christine said. “Getting ready for sixth grade, and now the merger between two schools [Forest Lake Elementary and Forest View Elementary] next year will be a big thing.”
A Positive
Grace’s Russian nationality had a lot to do with the Davis’ getting her involved in gymnastics at the age of 18 months. It is a move that turned out to be a positive for both parent and child.
“She’s a teeny, tiny powerhouse,” Christine said of Grace’s athletic prowess.
And her daughter is a showman.
Despite Grace’s ability, she won the MAGA (Midwest Amateur Gymnastic Association) novice balance beam championship earlier this year. Her team, Minnesota Aerials in Ramsey, also won the Division 3 state meet.
Grace is currently a level 6 UASG gymnast, hoping to qualify for optional level 7 in January. USA Gymnastics is the sole national governing body for the sport of gymnastics in the United States. This designation comes from the U.S. Olympic Committee, and the International Gymnastics Federation.
Grace has even worked out at Olympic coach Bela Karolyi’s Texas ranch which is the official training center of the USA National Team.
She had six or so months of down time from her beloved sport after having “loose bodies” surgically removed from her left elbow. The injury is common among gymnasts, Christine noted.
“Her [Grace] signature thing to do is pressed hand stands onto a beam,” she said.
Christine says that a floor routine would probably be Grace’s favorite event because it lets her be sassy.
Mom attributes a lot of her daughter’s success to coaches Jake and Melissa. The two know Grace’s work ethic, when she cheats or gives her all.
“There are times when Grace can come in and be the motivator for the whole entire group,” Christine said.
A New Addition
Back in 2006 the couple was just in the initial stages of adopting a child from South America when Christine got a call from a friend that would forever change their lives. The co-worker of a friend had a daughter who had just given birth and was about to be incarcerated.
Isabella, 3, was born with meth in her system. At just 10 days old, she joined the Davis’ family.
The adoption took a year, but Tim and Christine cared for Bella under emergency care. The toddler’s mom has since been released from custody.
Christine said she and Tim are unsure of what lies in the future for their youngest daughter. When you have a parent that is a drug user, she says there is a chance the mother is probably drinking alcohol as well. Research has shown that alcohol is the most damaging substance for a developing fetus, Christine said.
The couple watches Bella who has no indications of any residuals.
“But we still hold our breath,” Christine said.
She said they have no plans to adopt another child.
“Grace is going to continue to be with us for a long time,” Christine said. “She’ll be able to do a lot of things independently, but I think Bella kind of completed it for us because if we weren’t here, at least there was a sibling for Grace.”
Looking at the family, she says nobody would ever know they weren’t related by blood.
Christine and Tim believe that both of their children were given to them because the couple could take on the challenges associated with each.
“As frustrating as it is, I wouldn’t ask for it to be any other way,” she said.
By The Numbers
•Nationally, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders affects 1 in 100 live births or as many as 40,000 infants each year. That’s more than Spina Bifida, Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy combined.
• Alcohol use is much more prevalent in pregnancy than use of other substances; of the pregnant women who use substances, 80 percent use alcohol during pregnancy, while only about 8 to 23 percent use illicit drugs, and 33 percent or less smoke during pregnancy.
•In Minnesota, 39 percent of live births, or about 15,488 babies, are born on an annual basis to women who have not planned their pregnancies. Unplanned pregnancy is a contributing factor to FASD because mothers who drink alcohol on a regular basis may not be aware they are pregnant until birth defects have already occurred.
•In Minnesota, about 12 percent of pregnant women consume five or more drinks per month, and about 5 percent of pregnant women binge-drink. These women are defined as “risk drinkers” and are most likely to be:
- single;
- younger (college-age) or older (age 35 to 50);
- college-educated;
- employed in higher-level, white collar occupations;
- either affluent (incomes above $50,000) or at poverty level; and
- live in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area.
• Women are more likely than men to use multiple substances (including alcohol). Methamphetamine use is becoming a pervasive issue for many Minnesota women and children. Women using meth early in their pregnancies have a greater chance of having babies that experience brain damage or pre-birth strokes.
•It is estimated that 60 percent of individuals with FASD will end up in an institution (prison or mental health) at some point in their lives.
•The annual costs to Minnesotans for Special Education and Juvenile Justice for all FASD-affected children ages 5 to 18 is $25,058,880.
•It is estimated to cost Minnesotans $290,030 per day for FASD.
–The information was obtained at mofas.org.MOFAS is a Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
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